MAM
MTV revives youth marketing forum, launches youth research study
MUMBAI: MTV India, the youth destination, is reviving its iconic property – the Youth Marketing Forum. The company has also got Virgin Mobiles as the presenting sponsor for the forum – Age of Sinnocence.
The day-long forum will kick start on 29 April in Mumbai. The theme for the forum is “Welcome to the new Generation where conventional virtues are replaced by delicious Vices.”
MTV, which is also launching its yearly research report, noted from the research findings that the traditional vices that were frowned upon are now the driving forces in youth life. It also said that today’s youth is the “most connected” and “loudest generation” ever.
It said that the youth poke, tweet, ping, chat and broadcast every minute through status messages and it is also the most “voyeuristic and narcissistic breed of youth”.
The forum will discuss MTV’s research of Youth Vices and Virtues conducted across India. Different sessions during the forum will explore the relationship and attitude of Indian youth towards money, aspirations, career, ambition, romance, sex life all bundled into the‘Age of Sinnocence’.
MTV India channel head Aditya Swamy said, “The signposts of youth culture are changing every couple of years. And the time in between sees lots of trends come and go within individual spaces. The only way to stay on top of this generation is to live their lives and here’s where our non- traditional insight techniques work. Age of Sinnocence is a chance for all of us to open our minds to the world of young
people.”
Swamy said the study was conducted across 22 towns in the 18-24 years demographic with over 2000 respondents.
Over the years, MTV’s youth researches have thrown up some interesting insights on Indian youth. In 2002 the study focused on ‘Sources of Cool’ where cult branding took centre stage. In 2004, the study focused on ‘Tuning into the Youth’, which highlighted youth belief such as ‘live-and-let-live’ and more.
On its association with the forum, Virgin Mobile India CEO Madhusudan Mandyam said, “At Virgin Mobile India, we are delighted to be partnering with MTV for this forum, which will further cement our presence and the strong relationship we enjoy in the youth segment.
Virgin Mobile has always believed in reaching out to our target audience, get insights into their likes and dislikes, and then fashion our products and services to suit the requirements and needs of our customers.”
MAM
Ad veteran Amitabha Lahiri passes away; led MASH Advertising as CEO
Industry remembers seasoned leader who shaped brands across top agencies
NEW DELHI: Amitabha Lahiri, a seasoned name in India’s advertising industry and chief executive officer of MASH Advertising, has passed away, according to media reports.
Lahiri brought with him over three decades of experience across some of the country’s most prominent agencies, carving a reputation for building brands and businesses with equal ease. At MASH Advertising, a unit of Percept Ltd, he played a key role in shaping the agency’s direction and growth since its inception.
He joined the Percept group in 2007 as senior vice president at Hakuhodo Percept and was later elevated to chief operating officer. He eventually went on to lead MASH India as chief executive, steering the agency through its formative years and positioning it as a creative and strategic player in the market.
Before his stint with Percept, Lahiri held leadership roles across leading global networks. He served as vice president at Dentsu Marcom and JWT, and earlier as vice president and branch head at Everest Brand Solutions in Delhi. His career also included significant tenures at McCann Worldgroup, Lowe Lintas and Leo Burnett, where he honed his expertise in account management and brand strategy.
Colleagues and industry peers remember Lahiri as a steady hand in a fast-changing business, someone who combined creative instinct with sharp commercial understanding. His journey from early roles in Mumbai’s advertising scene to leading agencies in Delhi reflects the evolution of India’s ad industry itself.
His passing marks the loss of a veteran who helped shape campaigns, teams and agencies across decades. As the industry continues to evolve, Lahiri’s legacy will endure in the many brands he influenced and the professionals he mentored along the way.
